How To Help A Child Stop Bed Wetting

Helping A Child Stop Bed Wetting

Are you trying to help your child stop bedwetting? Bedwetting is common among toddlers. In fact, most children don’t stop bedwetting until they get to five or six years.

So, be patient with your child if you are trying to help them stop bedwetting. Typically, bedwetting is positively related to deep sleep. Children find it difficult to wake up when their bladder is full at night.

Some studies also report that children are likely to produce more urine during the night. Consequently, there is nothing wrong if your child wets the bed. Even so, bedwetting can sometimes indicate underlying health or mental condition in your child.

Common ways to help a child stop bedwetting, 7 Explained

Consider incorporating the following techniques if your child is seven years old and won’t stop bedwetting.

Change the times for drinking fluids:

Try reducing fluid intake for your child in the evening and at night to prevent them from getting pressed during the night. Instead, ensure your child drinks lots of fluids during the day.

Wake your child up in the middle of the night:

Another way to prevent your child from bedwetting is by waking them up to go to the bathroom at night. Come up with a specific urination schedule for your child at night.

It is always advisable to wake them up once or twice every night. Although this method is effective, it disrupts your and your child’s sleep and can make them more frustrated.

Encourage your child:

Avoid scolding your child for bedwetting. Keep on encouraging them, especially if you notice an improvement. This makes them feel good about themselves.

As a result, they will try their best not to wet themselves again.

Eliminate bladder irritants:

Certain food substances can irritate your child’s bladder. Some of them include coffee, chocolate citrus juices. So, avoid giving your child these foodstuffs.

When your child’s bladder gets irritated, the more they’ll feel the urge to urinate frequently. This increases their chances of urinating on the bed.

Avoid thirst overload:

Make sure your child does not get thirsty for an extended period. Otherwise, they will drink a lot of water or fluids at once. Pack a bottle of water for your child to ensure they drink the water in bits throughout their day at school.

Prevent constipation:

Give your child a balanced diet to prevent constipation. Constipation is a common cause of bedwetting since it puts pressure on the bladder.

Note that the rectum is immediately behind the bladder. So, when your child experiences constipation, they are likely to wet the bed.

Early bedtime:

The majority of children who wet the bed are deep sleepers. So, ensure your child gets enough sleep so that they don’t deep sleep frequently.

If possible, let your child go to bed from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. This will help their minds relax and get quality sleep.

Is taking medications a good solution for bedwetting?

At present, there are certain medications you can use to stop your child from bedwetting. However, experts discourage using these drugs. This is because they incorporate hormones to control the child’s bedwetting.

Generally, there are side effects that come with these drugs. Also, note that the medicines only serve as a temporary fix.

Is bedwetting a health problem?

Typically, bedwetting is not a disease. However, abnormal bedwetting can be a sign of an underlying health condition.

  • Urinary tract infections:

When your child has an infection, they are likely to wet the bed at night. So, if you suspect that your child has this infection, take them for a professional evaluation.

  • Diabetes

Unusual bedwetting can also be a sign of diabetes in children. A urine test helps you identify whether you have this infection.

Is there treatment for bedwetting?

There is no specific treatment for bedwetting. As seen earlier, using medications to stop bedwetting is not safe. The best thing to do is to be patient with your child. With time, they’ll stop bedwetting.

During this time, avoid scolding or discouraging your child; doing this might frustrate them. But if you think your child is suffering from a health condition, get clarity from a pediatric expert. They will advise you on the best ways to handle your child.

Do not deny your child fluids so that they do not wet on the bed. Fluid intake is essential for your child’s health. However, you have to ensure they drink fluids evenly throughout the day. Try maximizing their fluid intake during the day.

Then, at night and in the evening, minimize their water intake. Doing this reduces their chances of bedwetting. Even so, don’t give them all types of fluids. Coffee and caffeine drinks can irritate their bladder, hence causing them to urinate at night.

Consider using a bedwetting alarm to treat bedwetting. Bedwetting alarms go off when they detect moisture. Previous studies show that bedwetting alarms are effective. It takes approximately eight weeks for this alarm to work.

When using an alarm, you have to give your child emotional support. You can find bedwetting alarms from your local pharmacy. Luckily, you don’t need any prescription to get this alarm.

Children who are heavy sleepers may not get to hear this alarm. So, it would be best if you were alert.

Are there bed wetting home remedies?

Currently, there is a broad spectrum of bedwetting home remedies. These remedies are quite effective. Hence, try using one or two of them to stop your child from wetting the bed.

  1. The first home remedy is to reduce the child’s fluid intake in the evening. Always encourage your child to drink lots of fluids in the morning and during the day. This way, they won’t be very thirsty in the evening.

As a result, they will have low chances of wetting the bed at night. Nonetheless, if your child is thirsty in the evening, don’t stop them from drinking water.

  1. Some fluids are not healthy for your child’s bladder. Chocolate milk and caffeinated drinks may lead to an inflamed bladder. Therefore, your child is likely to wet on the bed when they consume these fluids. It would be best to give your children fresh juice or water-like fluids.
  2. Make sure your child goes to the washroom twice before they entirely fall asleep. This technique is often called double voiding. Also, before they fall asleep, assure your child that it’s perfectly fine to go to the washroom in the middle of the night.

Some children wet the bed because they are afraid of going to the toilet at night. So, reassure them that it’s safe.

If your child wets on the bed, ensure you rinse their genitals every morning. Doing this will protect them from rashes and irritation.

Urine can burn their skin when. Also, it is advisable to ask your paediatrician for a good ointment to prevent skin rash.

Major causes of bedwetting – 6 Explained

Health experts have not yet identified one particular cause for bedwetting. However, below are some of the factors that increase the chances of bedwetting.

  • A small bladder: At times, your child’s bladder may not be big enough to hold a lot of urine. Subsequently, your child is not able to hold urine for an extended period; and they end up wetting on their beds.

On the flip side, some children are not able to recognize if they have a full bladder. This mostly happens if the nerves meant to regulate the bladder have not fully matured.

In such instances, your child is unlikely to feel the urge to urinate, especially if they are deep sleepers.

  • Bedwetting can also result from a hormonal imbalance. Some children do not produce sufficient anti-diuretic hormones. This hormone is responsible for slowing down urine production at night. Kids who have this issue are likely to wet the bed at night.
  • A common cause of bedwetting in children is urinary tract infection. A urinary tract infection prevents your child from holding urine when they are pressed. Thus, they are more likely to wet on the bed.

The most common signs of urinary tract infection are frequent and painful urination.

  • Constipation can also lead to bedwetting in children. When constipating, the rectum puts a lot of pressure on the bladder. And this causes the urge to urinate. Your child is at more risk of wetting the bed when they are constipating.
  • If your child is stressed, they are more likely to urinate on the bed. Some things that could stress out your child include moving to a new school or getting younger siblings.

Children process things differently than we do. So, they can get stressed by even the slightest lightest lifestyle changes. And this can trigger bedwetting.

  • In some instances, health experts report that bedwetting is genetic. According to recent studies, a child is likely to bed wet if both of their parents wet the bed when they were children.

What is the appropriate age to stop bedwetting?

Generally, children should stop bedwetting when they get to six to seven years. More often than not, bedwetting issues usually resolve on their own. As a parent, don’t get too stressed when you can’t seem to find a solution to this problem.

Nevertheless, health experts recommend encouraging and motivating your child to gauge whether they want to stop bedwetting. If you notice that they are not willing to change, use a bedwetting alarm.

How do bedwetting alarms work? When using this device, please attach it to the child’s underwear. A bedwetting alarm usually goes on once it detects any moisture.

However, before purchasing this device, ensure you get your child’s consent. Children will likely get motivated to stop bedwetting as they grow older.

Final takeaway

Bedwetting is common in a large percentage of children in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, bedwetting usually is, especially in children under the age of seven. You help your child stop bedwetting, by incorporating certain practices.

One of the best ways to help a child stop bedwetting is limiting their fluid intake and using a bedwetting alarm. At times, you may have to consult a doctor if you suspect that your child is experiencing abnormal bedwetting.

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